Art of making welt-shoes.



W. J. DREY.

ART OF MAKING WELT SHOES:

APPLICATION FILED 9013,1910

1,028,5 55. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

To all whom, it may concern? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. \h'II-FRED J. DBEY, OF CATAW ISSA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO lIl'Iil'IllIED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATEBSON, NEW JERSEIj, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ART OF MAKING WELT-SHOES.

Be it known that I, WILFlmn citizen of the United States residing at Catawissa, in the county of dolumbia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in the Art of Making Welt-Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the "several figures.

The general object of the present inven;

tion is an improvement in the art of making boots and shoes, the invention being especially applicable to the manufacture of the better grades of boots and shoes, such, for example, as welt shoes.

According to the usual practice, the upper of a shoe which is to receive a sole attaching welt is lasted over the edge of an insole and is secured in lasted osltion by tacks which are driven intothe body of the insole in the angle of union between the feather of the insole and the shoulder or rib against which the welt is sewed, the tacks extending usually through the insole into the last. The upper is then allowed to set in its lasted shape, after which, according to the preferred practice, the lasting tacks are removed and a few tacks, somewhat lighter than, the lastin tacks, are inserted in such locations that t ey will hold the upper during the succeeding welt sewing o eration. In the welt sewing operation the we t, upper and insole are fastened together with a sin gle line of stitches. After the welt sewing operation the remaining tacks are removed and the inseam is trimmed. Although this mode of procedure has many drawbacks, up to the present time no method has been devised which will produce shoes of asgood quality as those made in the above-described manner, or which will permit the successive operations upon the shoes to beperformed with equal facility and speed.

A sflldus objection to the manufacture of shoafinthe manner above described arises from the frequent breakin of the needles ofthe welt attaching mac ines by reason of their striking the tacks which hold the upper during the welt attaching operatipn, these tacks being driven into the insole and usually through the insole'into the last in directions which intersect the path of move- Bpecifloation of Letter: Intent. anueaunn fled 0mm 8, mo. set-m I... saaoao.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

. ment of the needle of the waiter. Re lac- J. Dan, :1.

ing the needles so broken takes much 0 the operators time and involves heavy expense in the cost of the needles. Fre uently also the tacks are broken by the nee les so thattheir points are left in the shoe projecting through the insole or in such p'osltion that,

as the shoe is worn they will workup through the insole. 'lhis 1s very objection able, and it has lon been the endeavor of manufacturers of s oes, particularly welt shoes, to have the insides of their shoes'entirely free from any metallic fastenings of any description or broken parts thereof. An-

other objection to the foregoin method arises from the difiiculty whlch is encountered in obtaining a tight inseam around the upper holding tacks, owing to the resistance which they offer to drawin together the parts to be united by stitc es. Moreover when this method of making shoes is emplo ed, it is necessary to perform a second tac pullin operation before the inseam can be trimme and the initial tackpulling op eration is retarded by the necessity for inserting these lighter tacks at intervals durin said tack pulling operation.

arious attempts have been made to devise a method of making shoes which would avoid the disadvantages above pointed out, but for one reason or another all of these attempts have been unsuccessful. No device which has been suggested and no expedient which has been proposed has been considered practicable and. none of them has gone into commercial use.

The present invention consists in a method of making shoes by which many difiiculties and disadvantages heretofore involved in the manufacture of shoes are eliminated or avoided, much economy is effected, and a better product is secured.

In the foregoing statement of the objects of the invention and in the following description emphasis is laced upon the fact that the invention re ates especially to a method which is employed in the manufacture of shoes which are lasted in the usual manner with tacks. It will be observed, however, that with suitable ap liances some of the characteristic steps 0 the method herein described may be practiced to advantage in the initial lasting operation. Such use of the invention is contemplated and in u J so far as it s useful in lasting, 1t 15 my 1ntention to claim the invention when thus used 7 Having reference now to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred manner of carrying out the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lasted shoe having the upper and insole channel lip united according to the method of this invention preparatory to the removal of. the lasting tacks; Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the shoe shown in Fig. 1 after the lasting tacks are removed, this view showing the manner of attaching the welt, the location of the welt seam and the path of the needle of the welter during the welt attaching operation; Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the inseam trimming operation and showing the position of the fastening, which holds the upper and channel lip together, with reference to the operation of the inseam trimmer; Fig. 4 illustrates the method when employed with shoes having Gem insoles; and Fig. 5 illustrates the method when emplo ed with shoes having shouldered insoles; t e improvements in the art of making shoes which constitute the present invention will be described in detail. It will be understood, however, that the various means employed and the order and nature of the steps of the method described may be modified stimewhat, without departing from the invention, and that the scope of the invention should be determined by the broadest construction of the terms of the claims which is permitted by the prior art. In accordance with a convenient mode of practicing the invention, which is now to be described with especial reference to its use in the manufacture of welt shoes, the shoe upper is'first lasted over the edge of the insole and is secured in lasted position by tem porary fastening means, such as the usual lasting tacks. The upper and the insole are then united by inserting through the upper and the channel lip of the insole, while the shoe is'still in its original lasted condition, permanent individual fastenings. The lastmg tacks or other temporary fastening means are then removed and the welt, upper and insole are united with stitches. After the stitching operation the inseam is trimmed.

In carrying out the invention I preferably employ a fastening inserting machine which is especially constructed to facilitate the insertion of fastenings of the desired type or types in the required locations. Such a machine is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,011,592, dated December 12, 1911. 'The machine shown in the Letters Patent above identified comprises a nose or throat 2 constructed to enter between the lasting tacks 4 of a lasted shoe, (see Fig. 1 of the drawings), while the shoe is still in its original lasted condition, to guide the hand-operated tools.

fastenings during the inserting operation so that they will be insented through the upper and channel lip,or rib of the insole in a lme substantially parallel to the feather, or to the bottom, of the insole. The machine also preferably comprises a clenching tool 6 which may be positioned behind the channel lip, or behind the rib, or in the inner channel, as preferred to clench the end, or the ends, of the fastening which projects through the parts to be united. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to use with the machine shown in the Letters Patent above identified, but that it may be carried, out either with other 80 machines for inserting the same or other types of fastenings, or even with the use of The machine shown In the Letters Patent above identified is constructed to insert a staple of fine wire and a fastening of this type is the preferred'fastenin employed in carrying out the method, sue a fastening having, in proportion to the strength of the material employed in forming it, a holding power which IS superior lo that. of other tv; es of fastenings. Moreover, to' facilitate driving them straight and'clenchin'g them properly these staples are preferably blunt at their ends, that is,- the wire which is to form the staple-issevered at right angles to its length. t

As above su ted, the staples or other fastenings are inserted while the shoe is in its original lasted condition with the upper secured by tern orary fastening means and the number of astenings inserted is preferably only that required to hold the upper in lasted 'position during the welt attaching operation. The number required will, of course, vary with the materials employed in making the shoe, with the time allowed for the upper to set inits lasted condition, and with other conditions-of shoe manufacture which vary in dillerent factories, although it will be understood that there is no fixed rule for determining the number of staples required for a shoe, both the number and the locations of the staples being substantially arbitrarily determined by the operator. 1 5 In the shoe shown in Fig. 1, eight staples have been inserted through the upper, the upper lining and the outer channel lip and clenched upon the inside of the outer channel lip to hold the forepart and shank of the upper in its lasted condition during the welt attaching operation, and, in addition, two staples have been inserted, one upon each side of the shank, to hold down the forward end of the inturned flange 7 of the counter and to cause it tobe pressed into close contact with the shoulder against whichthe welt is sewed, these staples being also preferably inserted through the upper and outer channel lip, as well as through the interven- 130 ing upper lining and counter. The staples are indicated by the reference numeral 8 in the various figures, and the clenched inner ends of the staple are indicated by the numeral 10, these ends being preferably clenched by turning them both down at substantially right angles to the plane of the body of the staple.

It will be noted that, of the staples shown in Fig. 1, one is inserted upon each side of the forward end of the shank, one upon each side of the ball of the shoe, and two upon each side of the toe. one of these two being located near each of the stay tacks for the binding wire which is now commonly used in lasting the toe. When the toe is lasted in the manner shown in Fig. 1, by the use of a binding wire, this binding wire is preferably raised slightly during the staple inserting operation so that the staple is inserted substantially under the binding wire and thus holds the upper in substantially the same position in which it was held by the binding wire.

In order that the upper may be properly positioned to receive the staples, before the it is preferably staple inserting operation, forced into the angle of union between the feather of the insole and the shoulder or channel lip against which the welt is sewed in advance of the staple inserting operation, this operation being also preferably so performed that it tends to draw the uppermore tightly over the ed e of the last in the region where the stap e is to be inserted and to press the parts to be united firmly together close to the line of insertion of the staple. In order to facilitate this operation when the machine shown in the Letters Patent above identified is employed in carrying out the method, said machine is provided with a tucking tongue 12 which forms a wall of the staple guiding throat. said tonguebeing moved forward to push the upper into the defined location in the angle of union between the feather and shoulder or channel lip just before the staple is inserted, this tongue also serving to guide the staple so that it is inserted in a line above the path of movement of the needle of the welter.

Whether the staple be inserted by the machine shown in the Letters Patent above identified or by hand, it is preferably so positioned that it will be above the path of the needle 14 of the welter, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and below the field of op eration of the inseam trimmer 16 as shown in Fig. 3. As above pointed out, however, these staples or other fastenings are preferably of fine wire. i

A principal object of making the staples or other fastenings of fine wire is to prevent. injury to the needle of the welter. or other .sewing machine used in performing the succeeding stitching operation, in the event of accidental contact. and also to prevent injury to the inseam trimming knife or cutter in the event that the staples are misplaced during the inserting operation, whereby they come into the field of operation of said knife or cutter. or are pushed up into said. field of operation during the stitching operation. in practice I have found that wire of a diameter of about lit/1000 of an inch is satisfactory and that it is preferable that the diameter of the wire should not exceed 35/1000 of an inch. Preferably the staples or other fastenings are formed of material which is softer than the sewing needle and softer than the inseam trimming knife or cutter, although it will be apparent. that the relative hardness of the wire is not so important when very fine wire is used. As to strength, the fastenings should, of course, be strong enough to exert the required holding power but should not be so strong that they cannot be easily broken in the event of accidental contact with the barb of the wetter or other sewing needle.

. When the shoe has been stapled as shown in Fi 1, all of the lasting tacks are re moved together with the binding Wire and the stay tacks for the same, and the welt, upper and insole are united by stitches in the usual manner, the staples, as above pointed out, being so a part. of the permanent fastenings em ployed in making the shoe, thus not only facilitating the welt attaching operation but also insuring a more permanent attachment of the upper and insole.

It. will be noted that an advantage of the method ,of making shoes herein described is that no tacks are in the way of the welter needle and no tacks are in the way of the welt as it is being attached, the parts being substantially free between the points at which the staples are located so that, during the welt attaching operation, the welt, upper and the channel lip or the rib of the insole may be drawn tightly together by the in seam. When tacks are left in the shoe to hold the upper during the welt stitching operation, these tacks being driven into the last prevent the movement of the upper over the insole which is sometimes required to permit the inseam to draw the welt and upper tight against the shoulder of the insole.

\Vhena leather insole is employed, such as shown in Fig. 1, it is found to be preferable to insert the staples only through the upper and the outer channel lip and to clench them against the inside of the channel lip, articularly if these parts are dry at the time the staples are to be inserted. If preferred, however, the staples may be inserted through both the outer and inner channel lips and clenched in the inner channel, or they may be inserted through the belocated that they form is used, such as shown in Fig. 5, the staple will preferably be clenched upon the inside of the inner channel lip, or in the inner channel.

In all the cases herein illustrated, it will be noted that the fastenings which hold the upper in lasted condition during the welt attaching operation and which remain in the shoe as permanent fastenings' do not project inside the insole, thereby presenting a further advantage over the tacks ordi narily employed which are frequently broken off by the needle of the Welter during the welt attaching operation so that the points remain in the shoe after the final tack pulling operation. These tacks are frequently overlooked in the final inspection of the shoes and cause considerable annoyance and often injury to the foot of the wearer. Moreover the probability that tacks will thus be found broken off and projecting into'the interior of the shoe necessitates an additional operation upon all of the shoes and thus further increases the cost of manufacture of the shoes.

In the following claims the expression channel lip should be construed broadly,

wherever the context admits of or requires such a construction, since, as above pointed out, the invention is not restricted to use with shoes having insoles of the ordinary type, that is, leather insoles having outer and inner channels and outer and inner channel lips, but the invention may be employed to great advantage in the manufacture of shoes having other types of insoles, such, for example, as Gem insoles. or shouldered insoles. Moreover, although the method has been described as a method of making welt. shoes and the advantagesof the method are most marked when it: is applied to the manufacture of such shoes, it. will be apparent that the method can be practiced also in the manufacture of shoes of other types, for example turn shoes, with a realization of many of the important advantages of the invention. The claims should therefore be construed accordingly.

The novel shoe produced by the method of shoe manufacture herein disclosedhas been made the subject-matter of a (to-pending application of W ill'red J. Drey, Serial No. 597,054, filed December 13, 1910.

Having described my invention, what I claim as ne and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in the artof making shoes which consists in lasting the upper over the edge of the sole and securing it in lasted position by temporary fastening means, permanently uniting the upper and the sole by inserting individual fastenings through the upper and channel lip of the sole while the shoe is in its original lasted condition, removing the temporary fastening means, and then uniting the upper and sole with stitches.

2.. That improvement in the art of making welt shoes which consists in lasting the upper over the insole, securing the upper in lasted position by tacks, pressing the upper and channel lip together at points located between the lasting tacks, uniting these parts by inserting permanent fastenings through said parts while so pressed t oi gether, removing the lasting tacks and then uniting the welt, upper and insole with stitches.

3. That improvement in the art of making welt shoes which consists in lasting the upper over the insole and securing the upper in lasted position by tacks in substantially the usual manner, permanently uniting the upper and the outer channel lip while the shoe is in its original lasted condition by inserting fastenings through these parts in location outside the path of movement of 1 the needle of the Weller and at separated points between the lasting tacks, removing the lasting tacks'and then uniting the welt, upper and insoie with stitches.

4. That improvement in the art of maleing welt shoes which consists in lasting the upper over the edge of the insole and securing it in lasted position by tacks, permanently uniting the upper and insole by permanent fasteuings inserted at separated points located between the lasting tacks and outside the path or movement of the needle of the wetter, which fastenings remain as pennauent parts of the shoe, removing the lasting tacks and then uniting the welt, upper and insole with stitches.

5. That improvement in the art of making welt shoes which consists in lasting the upper over the insole, confining the upper in lasted position by tacks driven through the body of the insole, uniting the upper and the channel lip while the shoe is in its original lasted condition by inserti permanent metallic fastenings through these parts at separated points located between the lasting tacks, above the body of the insole and below the inseam trimming line, then removing the lasting tacks and uniting the welt, upper and insole with stitches.

6. That improvement in the art ofmaking welt shoes which consists in lastin the upper over the edge of theiusole,securmgit 136 in lasted position by means of tacks flllll a toe binding Wire, insertingpermanentntelal lie fastenings through the upper aml the channel lip of the insole at separated points hetween the lasting. tacks, lifting the toe,

hintling wire aml inserting other taslenings 1. in the art of male ing welt shoes which eonsists in lasting th upper over the edge of the insole aiul seeuring it in lasted position by temporary tastenings toreing the upper and intem'ening parts into the angle ol union lit-tween the feather of the insole aiul the shonltler against whieh the welt is stitehetl, while the shoe is in its original lasted condition, uniting these parts by inserting separate inetallie permanent fastenings through the upper aml the ehaunel lip and through the interveiling parts. removing the temporary tastenings alnl then uniting the Welt, upper illltl insole with stitches.

H. That improvement in the art of making welt shoes whieh eoi'isists in pressing the upper and uhannel lip of the insole into close eontaet with eaeh other, permanently uniting these parts. while in this relation. by inserting therethrough and clenehing a staple of tine Wire and then uniting the Welt, upper arnl insole with stitehes.

3. That in'iprorement in the art of marking welt shoes Wllit'il comprises the step-hy-step tiperatien of l'oreing the npper into the angle of union hetween the lip and featl-er o'l' an insole at a plurality of arhitraril i' heleeteri. points, irregularly spaeed apart. uniting the upper to the insole at eat-h ot the saitl points by inserting through the upper iiilli the lip or rih ot the insole an indivhlnal permanent 'thstening that will not interfere with the operation of the Welter needle or with the inseam trimming opera-- tion, aiul subsequently attaehing a welt t the iipper and insole lay stitehing 10. That iluprm'einent in the art of male 'ing shoes \Vlllt'll consists in lasting the up per over the sole seeuring the upper in lastetl position by tacks, permanently uniting the upper llllti sole liy inserting staples of line Wire through the upper and ehannel lip at points loeatetl hetween the. lasting tin-ks. removing the lasting tat-ks, uniting the upper ainl soie with stitehes and then trimming the seam formed by the stitches.

in testimony whereof I have signed any name to this speeitieatic'in in the presenee of two subscribing witnesses.

\VlLFRl lD J. DREY.

\Vitnesses ROBERT Mounts ZineLnn, H. Donsni' Srnxonn. 

